“Win 8 Security System” rogue AV spotted

Windows 8 has not yet been released and cyber crooks are already taking advantage of its name.

McAfee researchers have recently spotted a new rogue AV solution dubbed “Windows 8 Security System” which, at first glance, does look rather legitimate.

“Win 8 Security System will display lots of fake alerts and messages and will show a scan window on each system boot. It will display lots of detections, though it is obvious these are fake,” the researchers warn.

But even if the victims realize that the software in question is a fake and aimed only at bilking users of their hard-earned cash, they will have a tough time with removing it.

To protect itself, the malware comes with a rootkit and creates a bucketload of registry elements and values, as well as half a dozen files and one folder, making it almost impossible to manually remove as you can permanently damage your system if you make any mistakes in the process.

The researchers recommend manual removal only to experienced users such as IT specialists or highly qualified system administrators. Other users should use their regular desktop security software.